Hydrogen sulfide is a frequent contaminant of petroleum-containing fluids, for example, fluids produced from oil wells. Such produced fluids typically contain a mixture of oil, brine and gas, in which hydrogen sulfide is present both in gaseous and dissolved forms. Not only is hydrogen sulfide toxic and does it have an unpleasant odor, but aqueous solutions of hydrogen sulfide are extremely corrosive. Even when hydrogen sulfide gas is separated from produced fluids, enough hydrogen sulfide remains dissolved to cause corrosion in process lines and vessels, such as pipelines from off-shore platforms to shore treating facilities. In some instances, corrosion may be sufficiently severe to result in sulfide stress cracking of steel pipes used to transport hydrogen sulfide-containing fluids.
Although various methods for removing hydrogen sulfide from gases and liquids during petroleum processing have been explored, the removal of hydrogen sulfide from the complex mixtures of oil, brine and gas present in fluids obtained from oil wells has proved to be a troublesome problem. Where it has been possible to achieve some degree of success in such removal, the processes used, such as treatment with acrolein, have generally involved great expense. In many instances by-products, which further contaminate the produced fluids, have had to be removed. It would be desirable to provide an economical method for the selective removal of hydrogen sulfide from oil well produced fluids which does not result in the creation of contaminating by-products.